To say that Chris Zuccaro is a humble guy would be the understatement of the century. He’s one of those people who casually tells you about some of the things he’s done throughout his life, and you immediately feel boring and unaccomplished. But you can’t blame him or feel bitter, because he’s such a nice, thoughtful guy.
What’s so special about Chris, you ask? The short answer is he’s done a lot of cool stuff; the long answer follows. A classical guitarist who also plays the piano, Chris has been a budding musician since the age of 5. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he went on to NYU to study music at Tisch School of the Arts. Upon graduation, he opened up a music school, and happily taught guitar while practicing martial arts on the side. But we’re not talking basic self defense; Chris is a trained Muay Thai fighter, so he’s traveled the world competing in this highly specialized form of kickboxing, which is characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees, shins and feet. Muay Thai requires a great deal of physical and mental strength, but Chris, always eager for a challenge, enjoys this level of competition.
So it also shouldn’t shock you that Chris has run multiple marathons and even completed an ironman triathlon. It was during this time that he realized how much he loved being on his bike, and the freedom that riding all over the city afforded him. In fact, Chris will tell you he’s probably taken the subway 3 times in the past 5 years. But long before he became a Postmate, Chris made a very different career move.
Three years into his music school venture, a friend convinced Chris to enter the world of Finance. Why not, thought Chris — who rarely said no to a challenge — and he spent the next 15 years as a trader on Wall Street. Always the budding student, he simultaneously earned a masters in finance by taking classes as night (but still working full-time, of course). Chris was quite successful in the field, ultimately managing a trading desk, but in the end, he knew finance wasn’t his real passion.
So it was back to NYU again for Chris — this time with his eyes on a PhD. He’s currently finishing up a dual PhD in Middle East Anthropology & History. It’s always been a dream of Chris’ to pursue an academic career in History, so now he’s making it a reality. He’ll tell you it’s the most challenging of his pursuits so far, but don’t be fooled — he’s still doing 10 other things at once. When he’s not working on his dissertation or teaching Muay Thai, Chris rides for Postmates. He loves being outside on his fixie, plus he can work any hours he wants. For a student, this flexibility is unmatched. A Postmate since March, Chris has completed over 400 deliveries across Manhattan and Brooklyn.
What keeps you motivated as a Postmate, we asked him. “Postmates is really no different than any other job I’ve had,” he said. “Whether I’m running a trading desk, or riding for Postmates, I take every job just as seriously….It’s all about goals — right now, the job is all about making customers super happy. Ideally I’ll get to 1000 deliveries and every single customer would experience the same great service.”
Seriously, we didn’t pay him to say that. Ladies and Gentlemen, Chris Zuccaro. Just plain awesome. One more thing, Chris. Do you sleep? “Not really,” he shrugged.
